the chase
by AdeleParker
Summary: "What is this about Emma?" Hearing her name never had quite that effect on her before. It speaks so highly of trust and she fears she's going to add herself to the long list of people who've hurt Regina Mills. She should just shut up. She doesn't.


Haven't posted anything in a while. I feel a bit rusty.

First ouat story. Unbetaed.

Let me know what you think. ;)

* * *

When she sees Robin leave the house, she gets out of her bug and walks to the front door. After three hard knocks, she shuffles back a step and sticks her hands in the pockets of her parka.

"Did you forget something?" Regina asks when she opens the door.

It takes a split second for the brunette to realize who was actually knocking and for the wide grin to fall from her face. It takes a longer moment for the blonde to get over the easiness both of that smile and of its disappearance.

"Miss Swan?"

"Yeah."

Emma comes out of her daze with a slight shake of the head. She opens her mouth to speak but the light still in the mayor's eyes doesn't make things easy for her. _Maybe she should just let it be, let her have this, let her keep on smiling. _But there's still something gnawing at her insides and no, she can't let it go.

"I saw Robin leave."

And there it is again, the dark cloud over the Queen, the mistrust in her eyes. The walls are back up and Emma is left a bit dizzy from the abrupt change. But she only has forward to go now and so she pushes past Regina and into the house. Ignores the indignant "hey" of the owner.

"What is this about Emma?"

Hearing her name never had quite that effect on her before. It speaks so highly of trust between the two women and she fears she's going to add herself to the long list of people who've hurt Regina Mills. _She should just shut up._ She doesn't. She faces her.

"And I saw him at the diner, with you. And the day before that he was chatting with Henry."

"Is that what this is about? Are you concerned about Robin spending time with Henry?"

"He's my son..."

"Are we back to that?"

There's a tense silence and because Emma looks away, because Emma kicks an invisible rock with the tip of her boot, because Emma looks so fucking sorry, Regina lets it go. She swallows hard and knots her hands together.

"Well you needn't be concerned. Although a thief, he is a good man. And in any case, as my son still hasn't regained his memories, neither Robin nor I spend that much time with Henry."

The blonde nods because what else is there. She's terrible with words. Regina has that look that Emma has come to know so well and how sad is that. That look that says she's just holding it together, she's just strong enough to keep the mask on but her heart is crumbling behind. And it's all in those deep brown eyes for Emma to see.

So she got the answer she was here for. _Right? _It's always about Henry, always has been. He is what matters. Yet she can't make herself leave. _Now is the time to walk away._ She's too far gone. She feels sick, like back when she still cared about school and she hadn't done an assignment. She would walk around the whole morning feeling like she was going to puke, so mad with herself and so... scared. _She doesn't run anymore. That's kind of progress..._

"You spend a lot of time with Robin though."

"I believe that is what dating entails."

She looks so small. The Evil Queen. _She believes she doesn't deserve happiness. _She looks like she's just waiting for the other woman to mock her, taunt her, drag her back down. And Emma does.

"So you're dating him?"

"Is that a problem?"

"I don't know Regina. Does he still have his heart?"

It's such a low blow and Emma knows it. She pretends she doesn't notice the sudden paleness of the Queen. There's only silence in the house but someone might as well have shouted his name.

_Graham. _

Neither woman looks away. And when the red lips curl into the nastiest of smirk, it's such a relief. Because the pain is replaced by the anger and that's so much more bearable.

Emma practically bares out her teeth.

"Because that's kind of your thing, right? Your remedy against the loneliness. Ripping out hearts to get a little action."

Regina moves towards her so fast that Emma has to take a step back to regain her balance. She doesn't really need to though. She's brought forward by the pull of Regina's fist over her heart. They both know she can't actually take it. She could maybe end her life by squeezing hard enough but she can't take her will. Their bodies are moulded against one another, the brunette's arm pressed between their chests. Emma's arms feel like lead. She raises one hand to curl around the delicate wrist of her opponent.

She feels painfully exposed. Not because she has someone's hand in her chest but because there's no way in hell Regina doesn't feel how quickly her heart is beating, how much it races right now. _She feels like screaming; she feels like kissing..._

When Emma drags her eyes off Regina's lips and really looks at her, the Queen seems to have softened, her grin not quite as predatory, the glint in her eyes not quite as malicious. Her voice is distractingly throaty when she speaks.

"As it turns out Miss Swan, it's much more enjoyable when they come of their own desire."

For a moment, nothing seems as certain to Emma as the fact that Regina Mills is going to kiss her. But she doesn't. She lets go of her heart and pushes the blonde away.

"You may leave now, Sheriff."

And it's just rude. _So fucking rude_. Not so much being dismissed but the easy, sweet, polished way the mayor tells her to get the hell out of her house. By the time Emma gathers her thoughts, Regina is already halfway up the stairs.

« Was that an invitation to chase you, Madam Mayor? »

The brunette pauses, her hand on the ramp. She doesn't look down.

"Robin will be back in a minute. He just went to pick up Roland. Tell Henry I said hi."

She walks up. Despite the haze of her confused thoughts, Emma manages to get back to her bug, decidedly in no mood to cross paths with the goodhearted thief.


End file.
